SEAL Going for Goals Workshop

Presenter: SEBD Team

KEY POINTS FOR ACTIVITIES• Designed to be carried out in the

staff room to help adults tune into the strands of the theme at an adult level – Opportunity for participants to

experience at first hand some of the activities children will be engaging with at different stages, prior to introducing to staff in school

– Leading to staff in school having opportunities to think about the issues involved in working with children on how we motivate ourselves, how to reach goals and how to be an effective learner

Going For Goals - Motivation• Motivation involves:• Encouraging learners to be able

to set a goal• Breaking a long term goal into

small steps• Being persistent through a range

of strategies• Realising when a goal has been

met• Reviewing the effectiveness of

what has been done

Going for Goals – Knowing and UnderstandingOurselves as Learners

• In order to remain well motivated we need to be self-aware in the area of learning• The theme provides opportunities for children to consider how they learn best and

the conditions they need for learning• The theme draws on the work of Howard Gardner on multiple intelligences to help

children consider the question ‘How Am I Clever?’ rather than ‘How Clever Am I?’• Enables children to consider their particular strengths in learning by seeing, doing

or talking and listening

Going for Goals – Problem Solving andMaking Wise Choices

• The problem-solving process is considered more fully in this theme

• Encourages children to make choices about their actions

• In KS2 children are provided with opportunities to:

• predict outcomes of their actions, considering probable likelihood of success

• predict the effect their choice might have on themselves and their own feelings, the feelings of other individuals and the various communities of people their choice will impact on.

Going For Goals – Solution Focused Approaches

• The materials use ideas from ‘solution-focussed’ methodology

• Encourage children with goal setting and planning to reach a goal

• Links to • Excellence and Enjoyment:

learning and teaching in the primary years materials (DFES 0518-2004 G)

• Activities in the Conditions for Learning booklet (pp 26-30)

• Learning to Learn: progression in the key aspects of learning booklet (pp 46-49)

The miracle is at the other side of the bridge – what small steps can you take to get there?

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Activity One – Types of Motivation• Time Guide – 10 Mins• Resources• Flip Chart paper divided into three parts labelled

Intrinsic motivation, External motivation, Internal motivation

• Pens• Sticky notes• What to do• Thought shower all the different activities that the

children in your classes did today. Write them on sticky notes, with one activity on each

• Read out the definitions of the three types of motivation (next page)

• In groups take it in turns to read out the activities on your sticky notes and place them on the flip chart, according to which of the three types of motivation were involved, and how you encouraged the children to complete the activity.

Activity One – Types of Motivation (2)Definitions

• Intrinsic Motivation -

This is when we are motivated by the experience of doing an activity which is in itself engaging, interesting and enjoyable for us

• External Motivation –

When we do something to obtain a reward or avoid a punishment

• Internal Motivation –

When we do something because the outcome is valued in itself

Activity One – Types of Motivation (3)Reflect: • What type of motivation are we trying to encourage in

the children?• How do we ensure that the children are becoming more

self-motivated?

Applying Learning:• It is likely that internal and intrinsic motivation will

emerge as most valued. • Agree on one or two things that you are going to try out

to encourage internal and intrinsic motivation in children

Activity 2 – Qualities of teaching that enhance internal motivation

Time Guide 5 Minutes

There are some teaching strategies that are thought to encourage internal motivation in learners. Some of these are included in the table on the next page

Resources

• A photocopy of the table

What to do

Give each staff member a copy of the table. Each staff member to rate themselves according to how frequently they use the strategies in the table.

Talk to a partner and give examples to show why you have rated yourself in the way you have.

Activity 2 – Qualities of teaching that enhance internal motivation (2)

• Applying Learning

• In pairs, choose one or two of the aspects and decide a practical step that you might take to move one step towards the right hand side of the scale and use more strategies to encourage internal motivation.

• With your partner, discuss how you are going to support, encourage and motivate each other as you try out your ideas.

Activity 3 – Keeping going when things get tough

• Time Guide 30 Mins• Resources• Materials to make a staffroom poster• What to do• Individually, or in pairs, spend a minute thinking about the last

task that you did when you found it hard to keep going. (This might be writing reports for parents, completing an essay for a course, doing the ironing, raking the leaves).

• Thought shower: What was motivating you? What strategies did you use to keep going?

Activity 3 – Keeping going when things get tough (2)

Your ideas will probably include some or all of these strategies• Setting yourself a time challenge• Breaking down the task and promising yourself a reward for completing

each chunk• Having a break, doing something completely different• Sleeping on it• Walking around• Visualising or thinking about what it will be like when the task is finished• Asking others to help• Talking through what you are doing• Receiving feedback from others• When you have finished, create a staffroom poster of your

favoured ways to keep going

Activity 3 – Keeping going when things get tough (3)

Applying Learning• Complete the task with the children in your class and create

your own classroom poster• It will be interesting to consider how you might accommodate

some of the strategies the children may suggest (such as walking around, having a break, doing something completely different or working towards a reward)

• As a whole staff or phase group, you might also agree to consider with your class what to do when you are stuck. Children might agree five key actions before they ask an adult for help. These might be put on the wall or on each child’s table.

Activity 4 – Encouraging Autonomy• Time Guide – 15 minutes• Resources • Flip chart paper & pensWhat to do• This activity may be best carried out in phase groups. Consider the

questions:• What choices did the children in our class make for themselves

today/yesterday?• How many ways do we encourage autonomy in our classrooms?• What ideas can you think of that will encourage autonomy? Think creatively

and include all the ideas you can think of (even those that seem impractical)• Compare the lists each phase group has come up with.Applying learningUse an additional strategy each week. Review progress.

Activity 5 – Knowing Ourselves as a Learner

Time GuideResourcesA copy for each person of the resource How am I clever? (from Yellow Set: Year 3)Teachers’ planning filesBackground• There are many ways of categorising the way we are as a learner.• As a school you might already have adopted a particular approach• The advantages of using one or more of these approaches is to help us

provide a rich learning environment for all children, encouraging them to use all their senses and learning styles to the fullest extent. The danger is that we label children and so reduce opportunities and expectations.

Activity 5 – Knowing Ourselves as a Learner 1(continued)• Background (continued)• The materials in this theme use two main approaches to

learning style.• Firstly when encouraging children to consider ‘How am I

clever?’ rather than ‘How clever am I’? They draw on the ideas of Howard Gardner and his theories of multiple intelligence.

• These approaches are not the only way of considering learning style or ‘intelligence’. If you look on the internet you will find other approaches. You will also find some online questionnaires to find out about your own learning styles and intelligences. It can be fun to try these out.

Activity 5 – Knowing Ourselves as a Learner 1(continued)What to do• Use the resource sheet How am I clever? • In pairs, examine your planning for the coming week. How

many intelligences does it cater for? • Can you make sure that over the week you plan activities that

meet the needs of children with all the different intelligences?

Activity 5 – Knowing Ourselves as a Learner 1(continued)

Applying Learning• Share your plans with

your colleagues.• Try out any new ideas

with your classes and report back at a future meeting

Activity 6 – Knowing Ourselves as a Learner (2)

Time Guide: 5-10 Minutes

Background

The second approach used in the materials for this theme is to encourage children to consider whether they enjoy learning by:

• Seeing – The visual learner

• Talking – The verbal learner

• Listening – The auditory learner

• Touching/doing – The kinaesthetic learner

Activity 6 – Knowing Ourselves as a Learner (2.2)

What to do• Work in small groups, asking for suggestions

about learning opportunities you could introduce that draw on your least used style

Applying Learning• Try these suggestions in the classroom and

report back at a future meeting

Activity 7 – Qualities of a Good Learner

• Time Guide:

• Resources:

• Copy of the story The fourth son from the Green set resource sheets Year 5

• What to do

• Read the story The Fourth Son.

• When you have finished you might like to use a community of enquiry if you are familiar with this approach, or you might discuss the following questions:

• Which son had been given the most useful present from the spirit? Why?

• What would be written on the six stones? Remember, the pebbles are small and only one or two words can be written on each

Activity 7 – Qualities of a Good Learner (2)

• You might like to look at the work of others and use one of their frameworks to extend and develop your own ideas.

• Examples of published models available on line are:

• The Campaign for Learning the 5Rs (www.campaign-for-learning.org.uk ) or

• Guy Claxton’s 4Rs (www.buildinglearningpower.co.uk)

• You could also watch video clip 1 from ‘Learning to Learn: progression in key aspects of learning’ from Excellence and Enjoyment: learning and teaching in the primary years (DfES 0518-2004 G)

• How good a learner are you? Rate yourself with a scale of 1 to 10 against the ‘learning to learn’ qualities or skills you have decided on.

Activity 7 – Qualities of a Good Learner (3)

• Applying Learning• Decide on strategies you can use with the children to

promote the learning to learn qualities or skills you have identified. Try out your ideas in the classroom.

• All staff might like to work with the children to identify the learning to learn qualities they think are important. Children might use these to help them reflect on their learning and plan to become a better learner.

Activity 8 – Problem-solving Strategy• Time Guide:• Resources:• A copy of the Problem-solving strategy poster from the whole-

school resource file• What to do:• This activity can be done in small groups (possible phase

groups) or as a whole staff.• Individually or in pairs, first consider any problems that really rile

and irritate you at school. This might be a particular time in the school day or it might relate to a group of children and how they behave. Take a little time to share your problems before choosing one to use to practice the problem-solving strategy together.

Activity 8 – Problem-solving Strategy (2)

• Example of a problem• In my class things always seem to go wrong at the

beginning of the day. The children are slow to settle and I seem to have to tell them off. This starts the day badly when I really want to have a pleasant start.

• Use the problem-solving strategy to come up with the best possible solution.

Applying Learning

Try out your solution and report back at a later meeting.

Activity 9 – Using Solution-focused Approaches• Time Guide:• Resources• Paper and Pens• Background• These activities will provide you with a taster of

solution-focused approaches. • They are very powerful in helping children and adults

make changes in their lives and you might like to research them further.

Activity 9 – Using Solution-focused Approaches (2)

• Solution-focused thinking:

• originated as a therapeutic approach but has been developed for use in a wide range of settings

• E.g. solution-focused coaching uses the approach when supporting teachers and other professionals develop their practice

• Solution-focused approaches are often used in work with children who need extra help to develop their social, emotional and behavioural skills

• Further information in Focusing on Solutions: a positive approach to managing behaviour (DfES 0759-2003) session from the Primary National Strategy behaviour and attendance professional development materials (www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/primary/wholeschool/banda)

Activity 9 – Using Solution-focused Approaches (3)

Approach 1: preferred futures

(You could try this approach for one of the problems identified in Activity 8)

Read out the following:

Suppose tonight when you are asleep a miracle happens and the problem no longer exists. You don’t know immediately it has happened because you are asleep. When you wake up, what is the first thing that will let you know there has been a miracle?

Activity 9 – Using Solution-focused Approaches (4)

• Approach 1 (continued)• Try to elicit as rich a picture as possible of the ‘miracle’ (the

preferred future). You might use questions like:• What would you see and hear?• What would you be doing?• Would you know the miracle has happened?• Who else would know the miracle had happened?• Who would be the first person to notice about you when they first

meet you?• What else would they notice?• What would your classroom look like?• How would you walk around the classroom?• What would you say to the class that would let them know that

things were different?• What else would you say or do?

Activity 9 – Using Solution-focused Approaches (5)

• Approach 2: Scaling

Provide for each person (or ask each person to draw) a scale of 0 to 10 and read out the following:

If you consider that your miracle day was 10 on a scale of 0 to 10, and when the problem was at its very worst it was 0 on this scale, where do you think you are in relation to the problem today?

Each person indicates where they are. Then use the following questions to encourage them to find solutions to the problem and to set themselves targets.

Activity 9 – Using Solution-focused Approaches (6)

• Approach 2 (continued)• For example:• What will tell you that you have moved one point up the scale

(what will you hear, see, be doing)?• So what is it you are doing that means you are at 4 and not 3?• Where on the scale represents where you want to get? What

would you be doing then?• What will be the first sign that things are different?• What will you be doing then that you are not doing now?• What is stopping things getting worse?• What one thing might you do that will help you move one point

up the scale? (one more on the scale than today)

Activity 10 – Making Wise Choices

Resources:

The story of Paramjeet from the Green set• The idea behind making wise choices extends the use of the

problem-solving process into a more detailed and thoughtful exploration of the consequences of a particular course of action.

• A wise choice is one that balances the practical or thinking elements of the process with a detailed exploration of the:

• Intrapersonal (relating to myself and my feelings)• Interpersonal (relating to the needs of other individuals involved)• Extrapersonal (relating to the needs of the communities

involved)

Activity 10: Making Wise Choices (2)

• The following activity from Green set starts to explore this idea

• Read the story of Paramjeet• Talk together for a couple of minutes in pairs, to

explore your initial ideas and record them in some way

• As a group, use the steps outlined on the next page to come up with the wisest choice

Activity 10: Making Wise Choices (2)• Ready:

• Is Paramjeet calm enough to think? How might Paramjeet calm down?• Steady:• How was he feeling?• What is the problem? Why is this a problem?• What does he want to happen?• Think of all the possible options. Be as creative as you can. Are they

practical? How likely are they to be successful?• Choose two or three to explore further. What would happen if he did

these?• Who does he need to think about? (Pauline, Mrs Brown, his parents, his

sister, himself)• What groups (communities) of people does he need to think about? (his

family, his class)• Plan – what he should do first, what he should do next, an so on.

Activity 10: Making Wise Choices (3)

• Applying Learning

Discuss:

how you might apply this to the choices children have to make in school;

how you might apply this to the choices you make as a staff at school